Jun 5, 2009

You wear shoes? I’m sure you do. So do I. But our respective sizes differ. Hence neither you nor I can get into either’s pair. Tough! Just the reason, matching one’s footsteps is not that easy for others.

But, if we felt like walking beyond the barrier of (self-inflicted) “social jungle”, barefoot, a bit at least, I guess things would have been different in every walk of life. Unfortunate that it never happens, rather we don’t like to get it happened that open and free way.

Resulting… almost every selfless relationship nips in the bud, divorce helps a marriage go successful, miscarriage fulfills a pregnancy… and the saga of agony and dismay continues. Ironically always in the name of family and relatives, and the likes.

In India we call it ethos, but just outside of our mushy cocoon, our ethos turn into perpetual pathos. Admit it or not. And when it happens, even in the year 2009, the phenomenon can only be described as the SICKNESS OF MIND – incurable, unbearable, and above all else condemnable.

Perhaps that’s why, George Bernard Shaw explained it aptly a long ago: “Marriage is nothing but legal prostitution.” So true. As every unsuccessful marriage is the “broth” duly and intentionally spoilt by many cooks with their ingredients of injurious concern to take away all the “sweet n salt” off a relation… making the “broth” indeed a “brothel” – from where both the husband and the wife get compelled to sell their real emotions, feelings, and eventually themselves to the “bazaar” called society.

Sorry folks! I don’t belong to that society. Because I know my limitations. I know I can never be a “social animal”, instead ever remain a “social human” until I breathe for the last.

And every humiliation on a relationship or a marriage notwithstanding, my fight will continue against this corny society, which actually creates frustration across the length and breadth of lives to promote nothing but “bastard-ism”… in order to breed more and more ailing “social animals” – whose only criterion of living is “suffering from an acute identity crisis”, and thereby forgetting the basics of life that SOCIETY IS FOR HUMANS BUT NOT OTHERWISE.

Jun 1, 2009

Next day a presentation was lined up. For that, I was burning my ass in office. Given my fantastic complexion though the burn would hardly affect the tan of my orbs, still the fire was felt. Quite tellingly in fact.

My corneas were aching as well. I needed to catch some sleep. I folded myself somehow in a nearby chair and slipped down instantly… deep into the rabbit hole.

“Hi, this is Alice!” The tenderness personified, as she introduced herself with a soft smile.

She looked at me. Precisely she looked into my eyes. I was fixed. Mesmerised by her sight.

I never knew her. But her company was so comfortable that in response to her introduction I could only say, “Hi, I just can’t do without you.”

Once said, I was expecting indifference from her. Nope. It didn’t occur. She took her strides toward me. Winged open her arms. Took me in, and asked, “Why? Tell me Rana, why can’t you do without me? I’m serious, tell me why?”

Oops! She even knew my nickname. Amazing!

My heart fluttered. I felt a sudden choke inside. It was getting tough for me to keep the eyes dry. “But, hey, I’m a guy. So can I cry?” Not really. Hence my jaws were struggling to remain softer. Huh! Sadly all in vain. Tears tore me apart. Sent my toughness for a toss. And simply threw me in the air of emotion that I never realised still alive in me.

Weakly, I could murmur, “Because I love you!”

Alice said nothing. She lowered her head on my chest and decided to nest in there. I thought for ever.

In a single moment, life became worth living a million years and everything turned hunky-dory.

Then???????

Then Alice began to get sleepy. She slipped out of my arms and slept in dark. Her world of fantasies, her impossible dreams, and her larger than life confusions started to take its toll on her… and she refused to stay awake anymore in light.

Her heartstring uncoiled off mine, soon. To catch and give credit to the dollars with the wings. And willingly she chose the captivity to the freedom.

Also, from outside of the Rabbit hole, I heard a call. Gosh! The presentation awaited my presence, immediately. “I have to talk, talk, and talk… slide after slide, after slide… notwithstanding the landslide that happened inside.”

I was in a great hurry. I looked at Alice. Kissed on her forehead, caressed her mane (perhaps) for the last time. And silently said, “Tata!”

And on my way up off her, I left behind my heart on the layout of a YOUnique Kurti for Alice, which she can wear, nowhere, but only in the world of YOUnique-land!

Mar 25, 2009

This is an appointment ad of YOUnique. Anyone comes across this ad and feels that you have it in you what it takes to be a YOUnique artist, feel free to click on the ad, get it enlarged, and spend some time on the same. Thereafter, if your confidence level keeps soaring high in an effort to explore your "unique" dreams, we are just a communication away. And if you had missed out our email id in the ad, owing to your sheer excitement of working with us, here it is once again itsyounique@gmail.com

Feb 13, 2009

This valentine’s day YOUnique has been wild and witty with its V-day card. YOUnique products are unique by default as they tell your unique story through your YOUnique product. But this time it’s unique because a single YOUnique card is telling every one’s story. From witty fun lover to a shy adorable, this card shares everyone’s feelings.

Note: If you are by any chance a frustrated one and all alone in this Valentine as she has ditched you, YOUnique card can do a lot for you. On Valentine’s Day present the card to her and show her even If she has given a shit on you, you clean with love.

Feb 6, 2009

Ok Rahul, tell me what was the colour of her nail polish on the day when she first sneezed in front of you? Your options are: A) red, B) black, C) nothing. If your answer matches with your girl friend’s you can win a couple pass for the film ‘Love Main Low Balance’ at Inox on Valentine’s Day.If this is for FM radio listeners, news papers readers are not neglected at all. Write love message for your special person in 10 words which will be published on Valentine’s Day. Best will win gift voucher from Café Coffee day. Through out the month, Nik Nish, Archie’s, Pantaloon’s etc have created an off season SELL only for the love day. You can see the advertisements of audio or video CDs accumulating romantic love songs specially released for Valentine’s Day. Music channels decorate themselves lovely with red hearts and other sensational props. And we, the victimized metropolitan youth never miss even the Valentine’s Day special beauty tips sponsored by L’Oreal Paris. Flowers, chocolates, gifts, lunch, dinner, party, romantic songs, dresses matching the occasion, romantic games these are what the Valentine’s Day blows. Did I miss anything in the list? Yes may be I have missed the love. If most of the readers didn’t notice the missing ‘love’ then may be we born to be victimized. A very few who missed the love on the Valentine’s Day, for them I only have an incident. A girl is very upset as she has broken up with his boyfriend. She is telling to her friend how the boy had called her to a coffee shop and told that he didn’t want to continue the relationship anymore. The girl is crying like anything when she is telling the story to her friends. Suddenly, one of her friends says, which coffee shop did you go? Is it Barista or Café Coffee Day? You know, Barista complements break ups more than CCD.

Jan 7, 2009

‘Knee-high protagonists of shows like Uttaran and Balika Vadhu continue to be TRP grabbers’ Calcutta Times, Tuesday, January 6, 2009.

I would like to add one more daily series here, Jai Sri Krishna (Victory of Lord Krishna!). It also has a little protagonist Krishna whose accretion even has been delayed for grabbing TRPs. Even the viewers, who don’t like the soap, like the little adorable child in the role of Krishna. So, here Krishna may grow up in real time rather than screen time (at least something realistic!). The very talented Avika Gor (Anandi), leading Balika Vadhu (Child Bride), and the brilliant actress Sparsh khanchandani (Ichcha) of Uttaran (hand-me-down) also have propagated themselves in primetime slots by their very natural and influential acting.

Therefore, it is now persuaded that ‘India television is riding high on these little shoulders’. We have seen how cute babies can quickly popularize a TV commercial. Thus, this is not a very out of the box concept of giving hits for the creative behind the camera. To them it is another hit formula like saas-bahu. Then, is this the next for Indian TV after saas-bahu saga? Is that all the mature Indian audience deserve? Here one important point I want to bring up that Balika Vadhu is creating history in terms of TRPs. This series is more popular than the other two. All the three have talented, cute and adorable children, then why Balika Vadhu? Here leaves my argument, knee-highs are not the only thing which popularizes these soaps or I can say the secret of the triumph of Balika Vadhu can tell what exactly is liked by the viewers and what exactly the future of Indian TV drama is.

Balika Vadhu is a story of a child bride Anandi. The plot is based on a village of Rajasthan. Like other daily soaps place (Rajasthan) is not just an information here. In every moment of the episodes one can feel the flavor of Rajasthan. From the dialect, consumes, sets, ambiance, rituals, thought process everything is bearing Rajasthan. If we remember Kasauti Jindegi ki, they had introduced that series in a Bengali plot but after some episodes they forgot all about the Bengali quintessence. Though the characters occasionally wore Sanjay Vansali version of Bengali shares!

The most significant difference between Balika Vadhu and other two serials (Uttaran & Jai Sri Krishna) is their way of approaching. The other two are descriptive and divide their characters in black & white, positive & negative. Uttaran is a story of a small poor girl with lots of unfulfilled dreams and the little girl doesn’t understand why everything is unfavorable to her. Her mother is a servant of House. The Malkeen (owner of the house where Ichcha’s mother works) and her mother of Uttaran series are always negative because may be they don’t belong to the class of the protagonist Ichcha. Jai Shree Krishna is the Hindu mythological story of Lord Krishna. The little Krishna wins every fight and always well acclaimed even if he is doing wrong things as he is God.

Balika Vadhu gives enough space to all the characters. Every character has both the positive and the negative instinct and everyone has to say something in their support of themselves. In Balika Vadhu the ‘Ma Sa’ Kalyani Devi is the head of the family but she is never a typical mother-in-law. Her activities apparently seem negative but she has some viable points too in support of her activities and the script writer is giving that persona enough space to speak for her. This is where the modern viewers can relate them with the characters and the series gets its huge viewership. I remember in an award show Mr. Pankaj Kapoor got the best negative role award for his role in the film Blue Umbrella. After receiving his award he said in his speech that he didn’t understand why they called the character negative. Where as the character was portrayed as normal human being with his voracity, fear and love. For some reason he is behaving negatively but this doesn’t make him negative. The script writer Purnendu Sekhar and the director Siddharth Sengupta of Balika Vadhu are following this approach and instead defining the characters as positive or negative they are leaving the discourse for the viewers. This is what the viewers enjoying most.

To sum up, I can say saas-bahu, small cute children these are only the ‘changing themes’. The future of Indian TV drama is laying somewhere else. A more detailed and realistic approach and the psycho analysis of the characters; these are what modern spectator deserves and the key to excel and sustain on primetime in the long run.